Tissue-engineered vascular grafts

There is no doubt that the introduction of synthetic materials was the prerequisite for success of vascular surgery. Biological inertness, durability, eases of sterilization and modeling of synthetic vascular grafts contributed to their widespread use as in aortic and great vessels. However, analysis of the accumulated clinical experience in using of synthetic grafts showed that fascination with them was gradually replaced by cautious attitude, and sometimes by refusing, because in the presence of well-known advantages, synthetic grafts are prone to thrombosis and the development of infection. Thereby, it takes place searching of anticoagulant and antibiotic therapy schemes, and the ways of creation of such grafts which will minimize the risk of thrombus formation and the development of infectious complications. Not without reason one of such ways includes tissue engineering, which allows to create substitute for biological tissues and organs using the principles and methods of engineering and biology. Tissue engineering vascular grafts (TIVG), created on the basis of natural acellular allogeneic or xenogeneic vascular matrices and populated with patient cells, so personalized, are thought to be biocompatible, athrombogenic, and deprived of any deficiencies of synthetic grafts. Being biocompatible products, they will be able to grow and will be suitable not only for adults but also for children with cardiovascular defects. However, a number of questions related to the search of optimal conditions for obtaining TIVG remain open.